Emerging adults' views about couple and personal satisfaction in various gender role relationships

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Abstract

Using vignettes as a data collection tool, the main purpose of this randomized, mixed-method study was to examine emerging adults' views about satisfaction of couples in various types of gender role relationships and their anticipated satisfaction if they were in such gender role relationships: (1) male-head/female-complement, (2) male-senior/female-junior partner, (3) partner-equal, (4) female-senior/male-junior partner, and (5) female-head/male-complement. Secondary purposes of the study were to examine the relation of selected personal characteristics to views about satisfaction, and whether or not marital and parental status of couples in various gender role relationships were related to views about relationship satisfaction. Quantitative analyses revealed that emerging adults perceived egalitarian gender role relationships to be the most satisfying type of relationship. Further, views about the satisfaction of couples and anticipated personal satisfaction in various gender role relationships were not dependent on the marital or parental status of couples. Qualitative results were generally supportive of the quantitative findings, in that egalitarian gender role relationships were perceived to be the most satisfying. The majority of respondents related the vignette couple to their personal desires and life experiences.